It's All in the Past!
by Cinderfire16
Summary: Bella and Jason were best friends until Leah came along. Then they were more than best friends. The three of them had their own make-shift family. Too bad that didn't last all that long. Too bad Bella's on her own now, and it's all her fault, no matter what anyone says.
1. Prologue

**I know I should be working on Cat and Mouse but I'm honestly at a loss for where I should go next. This has been on my mind for a while now. Bella had to have had a life in Phoenix. So here's my crack at that. OOC Bella galore... and some original characters but hopefully no one will turn into a walking cliche. So... I hope you enjoy it.**

It's All In The PAST!

Prologue- The Aftermath (Phoenix)

"I've just gotten off the phone with Charlie. He agreed to let you stay with him. You're going to Forks, Sweetie."

"Don't call me that." I muttered. Only my real mother got to call me Sweetie. Renee could go die in a hole. "And what makes you think I'm going to Forks?"

"Sweet-" Renee backtracked at the scathing look I gave her.

"Bella, this isn't healthy for you. You have to realize that your friend is dead. He died by the time the ambulance got there and the fact that they're keeping him in that hospital is torturing you. You go there expecting him to wake up but he's not going to."

"I'll believe that when they bury him."

"They tried. Someone got the authority to put him right back in the hospital. Stupid doctors don't even know when someone's dead."

_Stupid Renee obviously doesn't know what a coma is, because his heart's still beating and the doctor saw that. That man had it on good faith that his patient was still alive. Just because no one's ever heard of it doesn't mean he's dead. _

"You're wrong. He's alive and I'm going to be there when he wakes up."

"Yeah well you'll have to make that trip from Forks so you might not be there."

"I can't go to Forks."

"Charlie said that one of your friends was on the reservation nearby. Remember the girl who got shot and almost died? That was a miracle if I ever saw one. She moved there right after she woke up."

_Which was right after he went under. Isn't life strange that way?_

"I can't go to Forks."

"What part of the boy isn't waking up do you not understand?! He's dead, Bella, and if he isn't then he will be soon. No one can go that long off of life-support and not wake up! His pulse was below normal! The doctor said they could barely fee it!"

"He's still breathing."

"The nurses said his body's shut down."

Shut up!_ I do _not _need to hear this from _you_! _

"I know that!" I snapped. "Look, if I go to Forks will you stop bothering me about it?!"

"Yes, because you'll be far away from… all this. That boy was a hot mess and he dragged you down with him. That's probably why that Leah girl left for Forks. You can do the same. You can heal there."

_Oh she was _so_ going down! _

"Fine." Truthfully, my bag had been packed for a while. I relished the chance to get away from this woman. Renee was definitely not my mother. My real mother was in Forks, apparently. "I'm going to Andrew's."

**Do you like it?**


	2. First Day

**I GOT A REVIEW! Many thanks to _brankel1 _for your words of encouragement. They make me feel so special :) So... here's Chapter 1 just for the heck of it. **

It's All In The PAST!

Chapter 1- First Day (Forks)

"Is that all you have?" Charlie made sure for the final time.

"Yes."

"Where's all the other stuff you used to bring? You're going to be living here, didn't Renee tell you that?"

"She did, but I wasn't allowed to bring anything- anything he bought me."

Charlie's eyes widened in shock.

"You mean to tell me that he bought you everything I've ever seen you wear? All the other important stuff too?! Where was Renee in all this?!" He demanded.

"She…"

"It's okay, kid. That just means you have to go shopping. I would help you but you know I'm not all that great with that stuff. Who knows, maybe you'll make some new friends and they can help. Or you could go call Andrew and have him ship your stuff."

That was the longest speech I'd ever heard him make and he didn't even stutter. This must be really important to him.

"Yeah," I mumbled, trying her best to fight the tears I felt coming on. "Thanks, Dad." _I'll try not to mess you up too._

"Do you have enough clothes to last the week? You start school tomorrow."

"I should have enough."

"Okay then. I haven't touched your room. You still like purple?" I nodded.

I loved purple. It reminded me of … everything.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Everything." Charlie frowned. I didn't like seeing him upset. He shouldn't have to get upset. He accepted me…

"You don't have to do that." He said.

"Sorry," I muttered. _If I were a cat my ears would be flat against me skull and my tail would be curled around one of my legs_. Charlie sighed. They had a long way to go.

"You said I start school tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. You should be able to keep up if Renee's bragging was accurate."

"I think that's the only thing about her that was accurate." I muttered. Wait…

"What does _accurate_ mean?"

"It's a fancy way to say she knew what she was talking about."

"She usually doesn't."

"I know that now."

"So what are we doing today?"

"Well, I took the day off-"

"You shouldn't have." I blurted out. "You can go to work if you want. I'd be fine."

"No, Bella. You're staying with me, remember? I thought we could go out to eat after we met your new doctor."

"Doctor?" I panicked. Doctors were usually stoic. They were probably hardened by how many patients they couldn't save. It was sad really. I didn't like doctors all that much, but then again, I only saw the nurses at the hospital and the man who came in occasionally to check on- on him seemed nice enough.

"Dr. Cullen. He's a good guy, Bells. I'm sure you'll see his kids at school tomorrow."

"Okay… what does he do?"

**There is a reason for the shyness and the cat comparisons. Cookies to anyone who can guess why. Review please? They make Bella feel better.**


	3. Meeting The Doctor (If he really is one)

**I'm back. I was conflicted over where the story would go but I'm good now. Thanks for all the support for those of you who follow and favorite me. It encourages me to keep going. **

It's All In The PAST!- Meeting Dr. Cullen

I found out what he did when we got there. Normally he was a surgeon or something like that, but he could also be a psychologist, which was someone who tried to figure out what was wrong with your brain. My last one gave up because I didn't want to talk about it. At all. Serves Renee right for making me go the day after the- Incident.

"Hello, Isabella." He offered me his hand and I stared at it for a bit. Something was off about this man. _To hell with it. There was something wrong with Jason, wasn't there?_

I flinched. Involuntarily of course, and I shook his hand. It was cold.

_Do you get chills very often, Dr. Cullen?_ I mused.

"It's nice to meet you, sir."

"You can call me Carlisle. I don't suppose you'd want to sit down?"

That was when I realized that we were still standing… and I still had his hand in mine. I didn't even like holding hands with the boys who claimed they liked me and yet here was a grown man and I was fine with it? They were right. I was weird.

Dr. Cullen dropped his hand and I wanted to grab it again. Charlie must have seen the look on my face because he excused himself.  
"I'll be right outside when you need me."

"You're staying?"

"Of course I am, Bells. Renee didn't stay with you?" Charlie seemed confused. Well, here's your dose of reality. Sorry it had to come out like this.

I shook my head.

"She was busy. Phil picked me up."

"He's her husband?"

"He was her friend then."

Charlie's face went stormy and I resisted the urge not to flinch.

"I'll talk to Renee," He promised. I shook my head.

"It's okay," I assured him. "I'm here now. I had them there and now… I guess I have you."

"You always have me."

"Don't bother Renee."

"Maybe."

"Okay." I could do maybe. Maybe meant that he might not.

Dr. Cullen nodded to Charlie.

"You're in good hands with him, Bella." Charlie promised. Dr. Cullen closed the door and offered me the couch in front of him. Well… this was exactly like what I'd seen on TV. Did that make it a stereotype?

"You're different." I blurted out.

"Excuse me?" He asked politely. I snapped my mouth shut. I didn't mean to say that!

"You're not like other people, normal people. Normal people aren't that cold but dead people are." Why, why was this happening to me?! "He told me about you once. He told me there was a doctor who could help him with his… issues. I think it's you."

"What?"

"I think you're the one he was looking for… before the accident. He said he would try and get better, that he was working on it, and he was. He was getting better."

"May I ask what was wrong with your friend? Why would he need me?"

"I'm sorry… I freaked you out, didn't I?"

"Not at all." He assured me. "I just want to know why you think I can help your friend."

"I shouldn't have mentioned it. It's not my story to tell, but you know about that, don't you? It's a secret. It has to be. I can only tell you that he wanted to get help and he thought it was you. That's how I know what you are."

"And what am I?"

"Your skin is really cold, like ice. It's hard too, but I wouldn't be able to tell by just shaking your hand. I've never really seen _you_ before, but your eyes are usually red. Yours are golden, like honey. Does that mean you're different from others? You and your family?"

"How did you find all this out?"

"I told you, I've seen you before, only it wasn't you. It was someone else but the man had cold, rock-skin and red eyes too. He shot my mother…"

"Renee?"

"Renee is not my mother." I growled out of reflex. Renee could go die in a hole.

"Sorry… I meant the one who took care of me. Her name is Leah."

"Are you adopted?"

"It's complicated."

"So what happened with Leah?"

"The guy tried to drink her blood but he sort of spazzed out, like what happens to people sometimes when they can't control themselves. They jerk around."

"Seizure?"

"Yeah, like that. Then he was gone."

"He left?"

"No, he was ashes. Like her blood burned him from the inside out, like fire."

"How does this relate to my family?"

"You're like that man, but you wouldn't drink anyone else's blood. I can tell by your eyes. You're good."

"I guess you could say that."

"You're good. I can tell. You're safe."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You wouldn't hurt me, you don't drink from people. Besides, you're a myth. I could look you up on Google if I wanted to."

"Would you know the right word to look for?" He sounded way too amused for my liking.

"I can't say it, but I can write it down if you like."

"Your speech problem doesn't affect the way you think?"

"I know what it is but I can't say it right. Sometimes it's the other way around but mostly it's like that. I asked Charlie what _accurate_ means."

"Okay. Here." He handed me a slip of paper and a pencil.

I wrote it down, folded it up, and tucked it into his shirt pocket.

"I won't tell anybody. I can't tell anyone about him, so I can't tell anyone about you. Your secret is safe with me." I promised.

**AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER ****AFTER **

"I think I freaked him out." I admitted to Charlie through a mouthful of my salad.

I had established early on that I didn't like eating meat, but he knew I would eat fish. I liked fish a lot.

"Why?"

"I don't think he knew someone so invisible could have so many problems dragging them down."

"He didn't say that, did he?" Charlie looked shocked, probably thinking of why I would say it. He didn't know about the monster aspect of it all. He just knew that Jason and Leah were two of my best friends. He didn't know the real story.

"No, of course not. He just seemed shocked at what I told him… on my outlook in life."

"You seem to do that a lot."

**CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS**

Carlisle got home like normal and was shocked to find his family scattered around the house.

"Didn't you have school?" He wondered.

"Random day off," Jasper offered. "You seem shaken. Did something happen?"

"I got a new psychology patient. She'll be starting at your school tomorrow. I need you five to do something for me."

Emmett paused the game and Edward raced down the stairs. Rosalie's head snapped up and she stared at her adopted father, a curious expression on her face.

"What does your new patient have to do with us?"

"Whatever happens, whatever she might say or do that you find odd, do _not_ scare her away." The normally calm patriarch nearly growled the last part of his speech and promptly disappeared into his study. The soft slam of his door told the siblings he was not to be disturbed.

"What's got Dad all riled up?" Edward mused.

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow."

**CULLENS** **CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS ****CULLENS**

"Bella?" Charlie's voice jolted me out of my thoughts. Good they were dangerous anyway. I was trying to get "better," right? I glanced up at him.

"Go change your clothes, kiddo. Your breakfast goes in your mouth." He joked. I nodded and flashed him a weak smile. It wasn't that he'd offended me. No. I loved Charlie far more than I could ever love Renee, male status aside. I didn't like men for some reason. Something about them creeped me out. Except for Dr. Cullen. Apparently he didn't. I don't get the feeling he'd hurt me, vampire male status aside. He's… safe. I need safe. Safe is good. Leah was safe.

**So... questions, confusions, rants? Review please? **


	4. New School

**Thank you _brankel1_ for being my sole constant reviewer. I'm hoping that more people will give an opinion with this chapter and the rest to come.**

It's All In The PAST!

This school was a lot smaller than my last one. My day actually went pretty well. I didn't really have to struggle to keep up. What they didn't know was that I was younger than everyone here by… a lot. If I were normal I'd be in 8th grade right now, but I passed that by going to my gifted classes in the high school Jason and Leah went to. Leah… apparently wasn't dead. I would see if I could find her after school. I wonder if she knows I'm here.

I met a girl called Jessica and this boy called Mike. Almost immediately I can tell that they're going to get together somehow. If only Mike would stop padding after me like some kind of whipped puppy I could set him straight. Same with Tyler and Lauren, only Lauren just assumed and poor Tyler is having a hard time getting her back on his side. He was just being nice. If he wanted to shove his tongue down my throat then he would have tried already and I would have kicked his butt to last year. Since that didn't happen, I'm going to help Tyler get his girl back. I like Tyler. He reminds me of Bryan. Poor Bryan… Mike is just going to have to get over himself. I can't stand Mike.

I saw the Cullens at lunch and when Jessica started gossiping I knew that we were going to have a problem.

"They're like, together, together. It's weird." The blond girl scoffed. I rolled my eyes. Everyone in the place knew full well that the ones who were siblings weren't together. Jessica was being ridiculous. I hoped they knew that. Maybe they were just shy about being in a new place or maybe they didn't like anyone. There were plenty of reasons for wanting your space and these people were being too nosy for my liking.

I had to leave. I couldn't take when people were like this, mean to other people because they were different from wheat most people considered normal. My own friends were different and I learned to be different just like them. I liked being different.

"Can I sit here?"

Every pair of eyes was on me as I made my way over to the Cullens' table where five kids sat and picked at their lunches. The blonde girl glared at me. I could tell we wouldn't be getting along much.

"I'll just go then," I muttered. The muscled boy on her left spoke up.

"It's alright. Rosalie's just not used to new people and usually when others approach us it's to spread rumors and stuff like that. Make yourself comfortable. I'm Emmett."

"Hi, Emmett. I'm Bella."

"Hi Bella."

"So what brings you to Forks?" The blonde boy to his twin's left asked.

"My dad lives here. I thought the entire school already knew." I snorted.

"We heard, but it seemed rude to just assume like they did."

"Thanks." I mumbled, nibbling at my seemingly edible pizza.

"Isn't your dad Chief Swan?"

"Yeah, is that a bad thing?"

"Nope." He grinned. I knew instantly that I would have to find out more about the blonde male. He has too many teeth, like J- like Andrew had when he was about to do something bad or tried to scare someone. I winced and blinked back tears. I didn't like thinking about Phoenix all that much.

"Are you going to be okay?" The spiky black-haired girl asked from the blonde male's side.

"Why do you ask that?"

"Well you're obviously not okay now. I was just wondering if you needed anything."

"I… I'll be fine." I told them. "Please don't tell your father," I muttered as an afterthought. "He probably already thinks I'm crazy."

"I'm sure he doesn't. We've all seen too many things happen to judge others by appearance." The bronze-haired boy I sat beside murmured quietly.

"I mean, you don't have to keep it a secret if it makes you uncoferabel- dang it!" I scowled.

"What's wrong?"

"At this rate I'll never get my words back!" I groused.

"I'm sure whatever's wrong will just take some time to get over." The blonde boy offered softly.

"Yeah but it'll take forever and I'll be stuttering for the rest of my life!" I snapped.

"I'm sorry," I sighed after a few minutes of awkward silence. "I just… it gets hard sometimes."  
"Here, here!" The blonde boy huffed and made a show of burying his face in his arms.

"People are igorance like that, aren't they?"

"They sure are, little one," The blonde boy mused. "I'm surprised you know that."

It took a lot for me not to cry. Ja- He often calls me a whole bunch of nicknames. I'm only Bella when he's concerned and Isabella when I'm in trouble. If they saw, they didn't comment, and for that, I was grateful.

How do you like Forks so far?" The spiky-haired girl asked.

"It… it's definitely not Phoenix, that's for sure." But maybe that's a good thing? I need to write all this stuff down again. Who knows, maybe I'll let the doctor see it. God knows he's probably just like the other one who wanted me to talk. I scowled. I hope not. He seems too nice for Mom to have to chew him out. That's if she's even here. God I wish she hadn't left… maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way. The Cullens were giving me strange looks and that's when I realized that I'd said every last one of those words aloud.

"Don't ask." I growled softly. "Is bad enough I have to tell that doctor. He'll probably go home and complain for all of you to hear anyway. Did he tell you anything about yesterday?"

Copper shook his head.

"Good." I groused. "I don't like people as it is. Forget about gossips." I snorted. "You don't seem like the type to gossip, though, and that's good. I didn't mean to say it aloud so it can't leave this table, okay? I'm enough of a freak as it is. I don't need it bra- burr- I don't want the whole world to know, okay?!" I snapped. Why does this keep happening to me?! The blonde boy nodded.

"Your secret's safe with us." He assured me.

"Thank you… Is Jasper your real name?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I like it. It suits you. You're a cat, like… like Andrew. He's my one of my best friends from Phoenix. Good at being.. sneaky, I guess you could say, but it's more like you're the type no one sees coming unless you want them to, but it's only you I get that from. Your spiky-haired friend-."

"Alice," The girl chirped.

"You're a dancer if I ever saw one. You can all be quiet but he's like a master or something. Can I tell you something weird?"

"Sure, we're good with weird." Emmett whispered.

"It's a secret."

"Scout's honor." Copper promised.

I kinda have this… gift for knowing this about… I guess you could say I have a feeling about the way people interact. I could tell just by meeting Jessica that if Mike would stop being such an idiot that they could be happy, and if Lauren wasn't so snooty then she'd see that poor Tyler's been padding after her just as much as she likes him. Angela and Ben are too shy to ask eachother out. With you guys… it's stronger. A lot stronger. Like Alice and Jasper would die for eachother and Emmett would kill for Rosalie type of stronger. I've only seen that once before… I miss it sometimes, that feeling. It's like… happy. That's all I can think of to describe it."

"And who's the one to make our Eddie happy?" Emmett grinned, nodding at Copper.

"Copper? I don't know. There are too many girls who like him already that it's hard to tell who he would really be with like you guys." Copper looked appalled. "I can, however, tell that it's no one in this place. You're too good for all these girls, Copper, so don't let them drag you down."

"I won't." He sounded amused. Yes! That means I accomplished my goal!

More amused looks….

"I said that aloud, didn't I?"

"Yes, Bella, you did." Copper chuckled. He… laughed? Wow. This year might be looking up.

_**She has her quirks for a reason, people. (Cookies to whoever can figure out what's wrong with her!) REVIEW PLEASE!**_


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